Eight-time GRAMMY Award Winner
Buddy Guy
with Colin James
It only takes one listen to Buddy Guy’s latest album: The Blues Is Alive and Well, the eighteenth studio album of the greatest monument of blues still alive, Buddy Guy, to realize that the album title is absolutely true. It presents a raw and pure sound, a real pleasure for both devotees and new fans of the genre. This show will be a new opportunity to admire Buddy Guy’s incredible talents as a performer. And if being a blues musician is about always maintaining a certain dialogue with the past, Colin James, singer, and Canadian musician, will also prove to the audience that this style of music is still firmly in the present. He will wow his audience with songs from Miles To Go, his latest album, released in September. An unmissable blues night for the 40th anniversary of the festival!
ABOUT BUDDY GUY
And it only takes one listen to The Blues Is Alive and Well to realize that Guy’s mission has been more than accomplished here. The record is arriving on the heels of a spate of high visibility for the 83-year-old performer: at the 2016 Grammys, he picked up a trophy for “Best Blues Album” honoring Born to Play Guitar, and that same year he hit the road for a U.S. tour opening for Jeff Beck. In addition to bringing the house down for a recent sold-out performance commemorating the closing of New York City’s B.B. King’s Blues Club and Grill, he recently appeared on David Letterman’s Netflix talk show My Next Guest Needs No Introduction. A truly restless and energetic performer, The Blues Is Alive and Well is the latest triumph in an already legendary career.
And even as Guy pushes forward with his astounding career, he’s careful not to forget his late contemporaries who inspired him along the way. “I went to sleep yesterday and woke up and all the great blues players are no longer with us. Muddy, Wolf, B.B.—they’re all gone. Before they passed away, when they were in their prime, we used to have a drink and a laugh and talk about how when one of us is gone, the others have to keep it going. I’m trying to do something to keep this music that I love so well alive.” And with The Blues Is Alive and Well, it’s clear that the music—and Guy himself—ain’t going away anytime soon.
ABOUT COLIN JAMES
Colin James has taken those words to heart. His career has spanned over 30 years, with a track record that includes 20 studio albums, 7 Juno Awards, 27 Maple Blues Awards, and multi-platinum record sales. His latest release, Open Road, is a celebration of personal connections. It includes original tunes written with long-time collaborators such as Colin Linden, Craig Northey, and Tom Wilson and reinterpretations of covers by a diverse group of songwriters including Bob Dylan, Albert King, Tony Joe White, and others.
Looking back over Colin’s career, it’s a timeline rich in highlights. His 1988 self-titled debut, featuring his two self-penned hits “Voodoo Thing” and “Five Long Years,” was the fastest-selling album in Canadian history. It won him his first Juno and an opening spot on tour with Keith Richards. It wasn’t until 2016’s Blue Highways that James found himself on a blues chart: the album spent 10 weeks at No. 1 on the Roots Music Report’s Blues Chart. It also landed him one of his biggest hits: “Riding in the Moonlight,” a Willie Dixon song that garnered millions of streams on Spotify.
Over the years Colin has worked with some of the world’s most revered artists including, Bonnie Raitt, Albert Collins, Pops Staples, Robert Cray, Albert King, Keith Richards, Lenny Kravitz, ZZ Top, Mavis Staples, Luther Allison, Roomful of Blues, Bobby King and Terry Evans, John Hammond Jr., The Chieftains, Carlos Santana, Little Feat, Johnny Hallyday, Jeff Healey, and Buddy Guy. In addition to his own recording and touring Colin is a prolific songwriter, his music has been recorded by the likes of Maria Muldaur, Johnny Hallyday, and Lucinda Williams. Upon his 2019 release Miles To Go, Colin earned the Juno Award for Blues Album of the Year, as well as 6 Maple Blues Awards in several blues categories.
Note that the event producer and Artist may change dates, times, and/or venues depending on the current COVID-19 environment. Ticket buyers will be updated by the Academy Center of the Arts staff, should any change to schedule or venue occurs.
In order to protect those in attendance, enhanced safety measures and protocols will be in place including contactless digital ticketing, face-covering requirements for staff, and mobile ordering options for concessions. To learn more about health and safety guidelines at the Academy Center of the Arts, please click here.
Tickets:
Obstructed: $10.00 plus taxes and fees
Value: $25.00 plus taxes and fees
Standard: $40.00 plus taxes and fees
Premium: $65.00 plus taxes and fees
Box Seats: $100.00 plus taxes and fees
To view our seating map for the Historic Academy of Music Theatre, click here. Please note that members of the Military and Educators receive a 10% discount on tickets in-person only at the Box Office.
For more information or to purchase tickets to this performance, contact our Box Office at (434) 846-8499.
Sponsored By:
The Baird Music Series
Supported by First National Bank
Supported by the BWXT Access Program
Know Before You Go:
All patrons, regardless of age, must have a ticket for this performance unless otherwise stated. All ages are welcome.
Videography and audio recording during the performances are prohibited. Photography of the set on stage is allowed pre-show, post-show, and during intermission. But we do ask that you show our designers and visiting performers some love by crediting them (and by tagging us) in your social media posts.
The Academy Center of the Arts offers a diverse selection of entertainment. Not all productions may appeal to or be appropriate for every guest or for all ages. Ticket buyers should take responsibility for making informed decisions regarding their purchases. We recommend visiting the official show website of each show you are coming to see at the Academy. If you ever have questions about the content or appropriateness of a show, please contact us at [email protected].
Our lobby doors open 60 minutes prior to show time. House doors open 30 minutes prior to show time for seating.
All indoor performances scheduled at the Academy Center of the Arts normally take place as planned unless otherwise stated.
Parking is available on-site and throughout downtown Lynchburg. The parking map above shows all of the free public and paid parking available. In addition, street parking is also available on most streets.
Please note: If attending an event or performance after 5pm or on weekends, the Lynchburg Grand Hotel parking deck, Lot 2 (Pacific Life Lot) and Lot 12 (Regional Business Alliance) are free and open to for public use. We suggest utilizing these lots, which are closest to the Academy Center of the Arts and within walking distance.
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Tickets may be purchased in advance or at the door. Our delivery methods are as follows:
Print at Home: This option allows you to print your tickets at home or access them on a mobile device via email.
All tickets for this show will be sold through academycenter.org and our ticketing system. Please do not use third-party resellers, as we do not contract with them. Should you use a reseller, the Academy Center of the Arts will not be liable for any issues with your purchase.
All ticket sales are subject to a Historic Theatre Restoration Fee and credit/debit card processing fees.
Want to volunteer and see this show for free? Visit this link to signup to volunteer, or contact Tremayne Edwards, [email protected], for more information.
